West Virginia Blue
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(Great first post. What you have to say makes a lot of sense. - promoted by wvblueguy)
The adoption of the Bill defending a national popular election of the President by Maryland has triggered a popular movement for a true reform. With the institution of Electoral College, many voters rightly feel ignored by candidates running for being President of ALL Americans. This is why polls report that 70% of Americans want the situation to change! As we saw in 2004, Presidential Candidates spent much more time and money on Ohio and Florida than on the rest of the country. The classification of states into three categories (blue, red, or swing states) leads to the ignorance of 75% of the country: red and blue states have absolutely no power over the outcome of the election. Whatever the candidates do or say during the campaign, the result is still known before.
The idea of National Popular Vote is to convince states representing at least 270 electors to change the rules for allocation of Electoral College members. If enough states decide to give their electors to the winner of the popular vote, the Electoral College will become redundant with the popular vote. This process is perfectly constitutional, since states are free to pick their method to designate members of the Electoral College. Maine and Nebraska have already chosen a different method and rejected the widespread winner-take-all method.
Maryland is not an isolated state; it is just the first of a series of success for NPV. The bill has been approved by both houses in Hawaii and will reach the governor's desk. In 27 states, the bill has already been introduced. In West Virginia , too, the idea of NPV is likely to meet success. The bill has already passed the committee and will be submitted to the state's congressmen. As West Virginia deserves better than being a spectator state, it seems important to put pressure on congressmen to explain why West Virginians want to have their word in the Presidential election. It should not be mandatory for American citizens to live in a swing state to have their voice heard.
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